7 Tips to Grocery Shop Safely
With stay-at-home orders in place throughout most of the country, grocery shopping is one of the only reasons people are leaving their homes. While you may have previously lingered over the produce section to choose the best tomatoes, a trip to the store now feels risky and stressful. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Since stocking up on food will always be a necessity, here are seven tips for how to shop safely and calmly.
1. Order online, if you can.
Ordering grocery delivery or store pickup is the best way to avoid contact with other people. But this option isn’t available in every part of the country. And, because the demand for this service is higher than ever, you may need to wait days to get your groceries this way. If you’re going to order groceries, plan several days in advance. And double-check your list to make sure you got every item you need.
2. Make a plan and shop efficiently.
In order to get in and out of the store as quickly as possible, you’ll need to have a plan ahead of time. Make a list, and organize it by your store’s layout. For instance, list all of the produce together and all of the dairy products together. You won’t have to spend time searching your list for what you need or accidentally skip something and have to double back.
Donald Shaffer is a food microbiologist and professor at Rutgers University. He told NPR, “Be as efficient as possible in the store. Have a list. Move through the store quickly and efficiently. Get out of the way. Be respectful of other people. Maintain social distance while you’re in the store.” (1)
Although efficiency is important, social distancing is more critical. If you’re about to go down an aisle with too many people to maintain a distance of six feet, move along to a different aisle. You can swing back to that section before you check out.
3. Wear a mask, but skip the gloves.
Some cities and stores are requiring people to wear cloth masks now. But even if they’re not, covering your mouth and nose is still a good idea. Wearing a mask helps keep people who don’t know they have COVID-19 from infecting others, so we’re all caring for each other when taking this measure.
Gloves, however, aren’t quite as effective, especially if people don’t know how to use them correctly.
“Gloves are not magic,” Schaffner said to NPR. “Gloves don’t make you invulnerable. As soon as you touch something with your gloved hand, that contamination is on the gloves.” (1)
Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, told NPR that instead of wearing gloves, she prefers to sanitize her hands before going into the store, after leaving, and once she gets home. (1)
4. Bring hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.
Keep hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes in your bag whenever you leave the house. Besides cleaning your hands, you should disinfect your cart or basket handles before you go into the store. For extra thoughtfulness points, wipe the handles down again before you return your cart at the end of your shopping trip.
5. Respect social distancing with grocery store employees, too.
Essential workers like grocery store employees are at the greatest risk of contracting COVID-19 because of the number of people they come into contact with. Keep them safe by remaining six feet away while asking for help or checking out. If your store has a self-checkout that allows you to maintain a six-foot distance from other people, you may want to pay that way. But some stores have installed plexiglass barriers between cashiers and customers, making it safer for both customers and workers.
6. Don’t stress about disinfecting your groceries.
Many people have questions about how thoroughly they should wipe down their groceries after bringing them home. Experts say not to worry about it too much. There is a low probability that you will get infected from food packaging because once the virus gets on a surface, its infectiousness starts to decrease. (1)
“Time is really on your side here,” said Dr. David Aronoff, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, to NPR. “After 24 hours, the vast majority of virus is no longer infectious.” (1)
Instead, focus on washing your hands frequently: after unpacking your groceries, before cooking, and before eating. You can also disinfect your counters after you finish putting your groceries away. (1)
7. Rinse produce with water.
Keep buying fresh fruits and veggies. They’re beneficial for your immune system and overall wellness.
There isn’t any evidence that coronavirus can be transmitted through food. But if you want to wash your produce, don’t use soap. Soap residue left on fruits and vegetables can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Instead, rinse them in cold water or use a specially made produce wash.
